Prayer, Perseverance & Rita

At 2 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 24, Hurricane Rita slammed lower Cameron Parish, La. like a wrecking ball. Sustained 165 mph winds, combined with a 22-foot-high storm surge destroyed every building except one. In Cameron, La., above, only the courthouse, made of five-foot-wide concrete walls, survived the hurricane. The Cajun people of the region have a strong bond with the nearby ocean. ?We are tied to the Gulf,? says Rev. Joseph McGrath, ?the same gulf that destroyed us.? James A. Bowey accompanied McGrath as he returned to inspect his parishes after the hurricane. The following photo story chronicles Fr. McGrath?s search for the remains of his churches. At 2 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 24, Hurricane Rita slammed lower Cameron Parish, La. like a wrecking ball. Sustained 165 mph winds, combined with a 22-foot-high storm surge destroyed every building except one. In Cameron, La., above, only the courthouse, made of five-foot-wide concrete walls, survived the hurricane. The Cajun people of the region have a strong bond with the nearby ocean. ?We are tied to the Gulf,? says Rev. Joseph McGrath, ?the same gulf that destroyed us.? James A. Bowey accompanied McGrath as he returned to inspect his parishes after the hurricane. The following photo story chronicles Fr. McGrath?s search for the remains of his churches. Test here